Goods and Services Tax (GST) filing is a regular obligation for registered businesses. Whether you file monthly, quarterly or annually depends on your turnover and your country's rules. Accurate GST filing requires meticulous bookkeeping throughout the period - every transaction must have the correct GST treatment applied. Getting this right means you pay the correct amount and avoid penalties from your tax authority.
Verify all transactions are categorised with correct GST/HST codes
Reconcile all bank accounts for the GST period
Review GST collected on sales vs GST paid on purchases
Check for any exempt, zero-rated or special rate transactions
Generate the GST return report from your accounting software
Review for any adjustments (bad debts, private use percentages)
Lodge electronically with ATO
Pay any amount owing by the due date
Businesses in Australia operating under the GST + BAS system must meet these compliance requirements set by ATO:
Using the wrong GST rate for different categories of goods or services
Not claiming GST credits on eligible business purchases
Failing to adjust for private use of business assets
Including exempt supplies in the GST calculation
Not keeping proper tax invoices to support claims
Lodging the return but forgetting to make the payment
SortBooks connects to your Xero account and handles GST + BAS compliance automatically. Every transaction is categorised with the correct tax treatment, bank feeds are reconciled in real-time and your ATO-ready reports are always up to date. No more last-minute scrambles or manual data entry.
Every transaction gets the correct GST + BAS code automatically - 97%+ accuracy from day one.
Generate compliant reports for ATO at any time - no reconciliation needed.
Never miss a filing deadline. SortBooks tracks your obligations and reminds you in advance.
This depends on your country and turnover. In Australia, most small businesses file quarterly. In New Zealand, you can choose 1, 2 or 6-monthly filing. In Singapore, quarterly filing is standard. In India, monthly GSTR-3B and GSTR-1 filings are required for most businesses.
Standard rates vary by country: Australia 10%, New Zealand 15%, Singapore 9%, Canada 5% GST (plus provincial HST/PST), India has multiple rates (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%). SortBooks automatically applies the correct rate for your jurisdiction.
Yes. SortBooks categorises every transaction with the correct GST treatment throughout the period. When filing time arrives, your GST summary is accurate and ready to review - just check the numbers and lodge.
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